REVIVE ▸ d. winchester [2] ✔

Chapter 23

Dean's POV

"Something like that."

Azrael's face slowly falls, realization hitting him in one great, unsuspecting wave. Each drop of truth brings a darkness to his eyes and a deeper yearning for revenge to his heart. Gabriel's gaze meets mine for a moment, and, exchanging a nod, we share a feeling of success. I look away once one of Sam's hands lands on my upper arm, gaining my attention with repeated tapping.

Looking at him, I find an astonished and relieved expression dancing in his eyes. Only once I follow his line of sight do I discover the source of his euphoria.

"Cas."

Stepping forward amongst his liberated brothers and sisters, the angel, clad in his typical attire and no more rustled than usual, stops beside Gabriel. Alive, determined, and confident, Castiel once again leads an army of angels against heaven's enemy.

"You've got quite the turnout, here," Azrael's dark voice rings out, speaking to no one in particular. He only takes in the many, many individuals who have somehow slipped out of his grasp and planted a knife in his back. He's shocked, to say the least, but he covers it up in the best way he knows how: through anger.

"I don't know what you think you're going to do, but I do know that whatever it is, you will deeply regret doing so," he threatens.

"I wouldn't do anything, if I were you," Gabriel rebuttals. Crossing both arms over his chest, he continues with a certain cockiness in his voice. "You don't have many options, anyways."

Azrael laughs. "That's what you think. You're as arrogant as ever-"

"Castiel?" Gabriel interrupts, turning to the angel by his side and silently asking for his own input.

Castiel clears his throat. "He's right. This entire forest has been warded since the second you apparated here. You're not going anywhere."

Bobby and Sam, both impressed by the angels' efforts, share a look behind my back. I, too, am caught off guard by the act of ensuring Azrael's escape cannot happen, but I'm glad someone thought of it. A hole in our plan was covered up at the last moment, giving each one of us a greater sliver of confidence.

Azrael laughs, denying the truth of Cas's words and snapping his fingers. Only when he realizes that he really is trapped here by those who he has royally pissed off does he rebuke.

"You thought you could bring the fight to me?" He asks, his voice growing in exasperation. His eyes lock with mine, deadly serious. "Well, alright then. Two can play at that game."

Rather than summoning his power in an effort to escape the warded forest, Azrael closes his eyes and opens his hands, palms facing out towards us. With one deep breath, his power takes over, catching me off guard with the sheer strength of it.

A gust of wind sends snow flying through the air, twirling at an unexpected speed. Bitter wind nips at my cheeks, and as I throw my arm over my face, I try my best to ignore the incessant cold that I've endured for far too long. Wind howls through my ears, and I can just barely hear Bobby and Sam next to me, yelling at me to get down. Only when a chunk of ice hits the side of my head do I let my knees hit the frozen ground.

Azrael still stands where he was moments before, but now, with snow whirling about the air around him, completely under his control, he has his arms lifted. From his mouth flows words that I can't understand, so I turn to Sam in hopes he would know what was happening.

Also on the ground but back behind a bush, Sam yells over the wind to Bobby and I. "It's Latin! Some sort of summoning spell!"

"You know what that means, boys," Bobby states over my shoulder, his gruff voice becoming lost in the noise. "Go time!"